When it comes to Strategies for living longer and maintaining physical and mental health the thought immediately goes to all of those good habits to which attention is often drawn. Do physical activity, eat properly, take care of your mental well-being, cultivate positive relationships, and so on…
And yet, to make a difference in terms of longevity and more generally well-beingit could also be something that you usually tend to do not associate with the idea of health and this something – surprisingly – is the art. Well yes: they could be enough 30/45 minutes of artistic practice per day for limit physical and mental health problems, gaining, in terms of longevity, up to 10 years of life.
As told by an article that appeared in theHuffPost UKthe advice comes from Professor Susan Magsamenexecutive director of the International Arts + Minds Laboratory, Center for Applied Neuroesthetics at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine, and now co-author with Ivy Ross, Vice President Hardware Design at Google, of the book Your Brain on Art.
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In fact, in the book the expert shows, through the results of various researches avant-garde and the stories of those who have managed, through art, to improve their lives, come engage in an art project for just 45 minutes can reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormonethus helping to live a happier and healthier life. Skill and aptitude do not count: whatever the artistic practice chosen, from painting to dancing to writing and moreIndeed, the beneficial effects do not change.
The effects of art on the brain
The investigation area of Susan Magsamen it is in fact there neuroaesthetics a neuroarti.e. the study of how art affects the brain. In the book the author tells, for example, the story of a man with Alzheimer’s that after listening a playlist of songs he lovedmanages to recognize his son for the first time in 10 years.
«Music activates multiple brain circuits that stimulate the auditory cortex (which processes sound), the amygdala (the seat of emotion), and the hippocampus (memory). – explained the expert speaking with the Telegraph – When we listen to a song, music activates the hippocampus, but above all other areas of the brain, which also connect to the memory and remembrance».
According to the scholar, the more you will be able to understand how the arts function physically and physiologicallythe more you can learn to use them effectively.
Where to start for make the most of the effects of art? The fundamental objective – according to the author – must be to make artistic activity a daily habit. People who are into the arts, ideally every day, but at least every week, do indeed exhibit improved mental functioning and a better quality of life.
Skeptics? After all, as they say, there’s no harm in trying…
Here then 8 good (and easy) practices that are good for health, suggested by the author of Your Brain on Art.
1. Sing or hum
The reason? Singing activates the vagus nerve, involving the parasympathetic nervous system and is able to make you feel calm and more optimistic. Not only that, singing has been shown to help i patients with dementia to reconnect with family and friends because it activates different brain circuits responsible for memory.
2. Curate a personal playlist
The songs associated with happy memories I’m able to limit anxiety and improve mood. Sound vibration indeed seems to have the ability to take your body away from them physiological responses of fight, flight and freeze, typical of when you are very anxious. It is therefore an excellent tool to manage stressalso because it works on an unconscious level.
3. Read a poem you love
This simple practice, according to the scholar, is able to activate the same parts of the brain involved in listening to musicby stimulating reward circuits in the brain.
4. Working the clay (or modeling clay)
Even an activity like that of work clay or simply modeling clay, can be useful: it is indeed of the only art form in which both hands they have the same level of engagement. Several studies have shown the psychological benefits it can have to make something with clay, then break it down and start over. In particular, the tactile quality of this work reduces negative mood and anxiety and it also helps to concentrate. Working with clay also helps the body to release serotonin, sustaining morale and increasing optimistic prospects.
5. Knitting (in company)
Stare sitting with other people while knitting or is sewn, it can have the effect of create stronger social connections. Not only that, it is a game that, according to the author of “Your Brain on Art”, helps maintain concentration, reduce anxiety and manage stress.
6. Coloring
A few years ago i coloring books for adults they experienced a real boom. Well, today it is known that beyond the fashion of the moment, this practice can do you really good. The reason? Half an hour spent coloring stimulates the same parts of the brain involved in meditation and it might help too to improve concentration.
7. Smell a perfume you love
Smell is capable of involving up to 75% of our emotions. This sense is in fact associated with the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for feelings, mood and memory. Treat yourself to a hot scented bath to lavender or another essence that one loves, or that has good connotations about itself, it can therefore be an extremely effective habit for improving mood.
8. Immerse yourself in an interactive exhibit
Free time? A good idea is to spend it going to an exhibition, even better if immersive. This particular format Indeed manages to break down the boundaries between art and viewer, involving all the senses and creating strong emotional reactions that escalate learning and memory.
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